“LeBron James is not in my top 2 all-time lineups”: Julius Erving keeps Kobe Bryant and the Lakers star out of his 2 greatest lineups of all time

Julius Erving gave a typical oldheads take by keeping LeBron James out of his 2 greatest starting lineups ever, but including Michael Jordan.

LeBron James is by far the most accomplished superstar in this current era of the NBA. In 17 seasons, the King has won 4 MVPs, 4 NBA championships, 4 Finals MVPs, a scoring title, and so much more. And because of everything he has achieved, the 36-year-old stands as the clear GOAT in the eyes of many.

There are of course many that disagree. Indeed, the legacy of Michael Jordan is one that is more than just difficult to transcend. However, even those that may despise LeBron have had to agree that he at least stands second all-time, right behind His Airness.

But it seems former player and NBA legend Julius Erving disagrees with the notion completely. He recently revealed that James isn’t even in his top two all time, for a frankly shocking reason. Let’s get into it.

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“LeBron James is not in my top 2 lineups all-time”: Julius Erving

As many NBA fans know, LeBron James was the one who kickstarted the player empowerment era. Before his decision to leave the Cavaliers and head to Miami, players were moved around like chess pieces, with their opinion of little to no regard. But after the chosen one’s decision, players started to recognize the cards they held, and made decisions for themselves.

As every first person to do something does though, James faced tons of backlash at the time. Jerseys and mannequins were burnt in the middle of riots in Ohio. After a while though, the mood softened around the phenomena, with it now being far more routine today.

However, it seems Julius Erving can’t quite let that slide. In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, Erving revealed that he still holds the King’s alter ego, ‘LeGM’ against his case for Greatest player of all time. Take a listen.

To be fair to Erving, he belongs to an era where loyalty for a franchise goes above anything else. However, if the teams run like businesses and don’t get flack for it, why should the players?

The whole saga between DeMar DeRozan comes up as a massive example of what is made of loyalty today. Despite the star’s complete and utter loyalty to the Raptors, he was cruelly traded away to the Spurs. However, the franchise was ultimately right, because it was that move that brought them their first championship.

So, if franchises can disregard the players’ emotions to seek out a championship, why is there a problem with it being the other way around?

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